Transit driver allegedly caught driving distracted

A Calgary Transit spokesperson says that they will deal with a driver that was reportedly caught driving distracted on a video taken by a rider.

A woman came forward to CTV Calgary with a video that clearly shows the transit driver folding a number of transfers while operating the bus.

The eleven-second long video also shows the driver operating the vehicle with his wrists.

According to Wendy Myshyniuk, the rider who took the video while on the ride home, says this happened on the Route 1 bus along 9 Ave. S.E. and carried on for a period of time until she got off the bus.

She says the bus even hit a pylon, but the driver kept going and continued to fold the transfers.

“He hit a pylon and he kinda grabbed the wheel and I looked over and he was folding transfers and driving with his wrists. It almost looked like he was doing origami with the transfers.”

Myshyniuk says the driver even spotted her taping him but didn’t do anything. “The fact that he caught me taping him and told me to sit down – that’s even worse. I’m sure he knew he was caught; he kept doing it though.”

She plans to report the incident to Calgary Transit.

Calgary police had a look at the video and say "Issues like distracted driving are usually up to officer discretion. However we have shown this to several officers, and based on what they’ve seen it does appear to be distracted driving. The driver is using both hands while controlling the wheel with his wrist, and it appears to be taking up plenty of his attention. It would ultimately be up to a judge whether this was an offence."

A transit spokesperson said they would be investigating and that they take distracted driving very seriously and will deal with the situation accordingly.